Over 10,000 medicinal specimens in E China's Anhui showcase splendid history of TCM research

An exhibition area has been designed to teach visitors how to distinguish quality medicinal materials from inferior ones. (People's Daily Online/Zhou Kun)

More than 10,000 dehydrated plant specimens from over 1,000 varieties of Chinese herbs have recently been showcased at a newly opened herbarium in east China's Anhui province.

This herbarium under the Anhui Food and Drug Inspection Research Institute tells stories about the history of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) research.

As reported, the herbarium has been divided into 16 exhibition areas, including a simulation and demonstration area for TCM processing, an exhibition area for authentic medicinal materials in Anhui, and a national TCM specimen exhibition area.

In the national TCM specimen exhibition area, 52 samples of 52 kinds of characteristic medicinal materials such as ginseng and pseudo-ginseng are on display. In the area displaying wet specimens of medicinal materials in Anhui, there are 42 samples of 42 kinds that include dendrobium, peony and tribute chrysanthemum, among others.

Specimens play an important role for the teaching, scientific research, and production of TCM.